BMW M Boss Would Love To Build A New M1 Supercar

Our chat with BMW higher-ups during the Le Mans weekend largely revolved around the M Concept Neue Klasse. After all, the near-production electric M3 made its big debut on the sidelines of the Circuit de la Sarthe. While the ZA0 occupied much of the interview, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to ask two of the most important people at M about their dream cars.

Not surprisingly, both the M CEO and M Head of Design gave the same answer: the M1. Frank van Meel and Oliver Heilmer would ideally like to work on a spiritual successor to the E26. Although BMW has occasionally said the XM picks up where the M1 left off in 1981, it’s certainly no mid-engine supercar. We’ll leave it at that.

The man in charge of the M division didn’t hold back: “I’m in love with the original M1, but I would love to do a new one.” His sentiments were echoed by the man responsible for designing future M models. Oliver didn’t hesitate for a second before mentioning a new M1. However, this was more of a hypothetical question for an alternate universe in which BMW M had an unlimited budget and the freedom to build a new car outside its current portfolio.

A New BMW Supercar Could Eventually Happen

That’s not to say BMW is unlikely to build a new supercar again. A little over a year ago, the mayor of M Town told us the company is “always looking into” launching a performance model that would sit above everything else in the sprawling M lineup. The stars haven’t aligned yet, but they could one day.

“I must be honest; we are always dreaming about it. And maybe someday we find the right window of opportunity where we have the capacity to work on a car like that. And also, the company, BMW Group, says: ‘Ok, go for it.’ We never give up, I can promise you that, but actually, it’s not here yet.”

Although there has never been a true follow-up to the M1, BMW reportedly came close around the turn of the decade. Rumor has it that the M Vision Next concept was supposed to enter production, but the coronavirus pandemic caused the project to be abandoned. High development costs were allegedly another nail in the plug-in hybrid supercar’s coffin.

We’ve also heard rumblings of an all-electric supercar with more than 1,200 horsepower, but those never materialized either. BMW reportedly planned to charge deep into six-figure territory for the range-topping EV, but ultimately canceled the project after determining that existing electric performance cars weren’t selling particularly well.

Why did BMW prioritize the XM over an M1 anyway? It all came down to the numbers, as the company projected it would sell better.

You can watch the full interview from Le Mans in the video below.